Robert Webster Cary

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Robert Webster Cary, Jr.
August 18, 1890 - July 15, 1967
Rear Admiral Robert W. Cary
Place of birth	Kansas City, Missouri
Allegiance	USN
Years of service	1914
Rank	Rear Admiral
Battles/wars	World War I World War II
Awards	Medal of Honor Navy Cross Legion of Merit (5) Distinguished Service Order (UK)

Rear Admiral Robert Webster Cary, Jr. (18 August 1890 – 15 July 1967) is one of the most decorated officers in the history of the United States Navy.

1 Education
2 Military career
3 Other notable decorations
4 References

[edit] Education

Robert Cary was born in Kansas City, Missouri. He entered the University of Missouri in the fall of 1908 but left after the first semester of the following year and entered the United States Naval Academy where he graduated in 1914.

[edit] Military career

Scarcely a year after graduating the Naval Academy he was awarded the Medal of Honor for action in a boiler explosion on board USS San Diego. He was standing by the first of five boilers that blew up and saved the lives of three men by dragging them out of the boiler room. He also took charge of the situation in the adjacent boiler room, putting out the fires and thus preventing the explosion of these boilers.

During World War I, Cary served on the destroyers based at Queenstown, Ireland. During World War I Cary was awarded the Navy Cross. During a hurricane, a depth charge on the fan-tail of USS Sampson broke loose, menancing the safety of the ship. Together, with three enlisted men, he went to the fan-tail, and they managed to secure this depth charge, including its safety pin, at a great risk of being washed overboard themselves.

During the war years between WWI and World War II, Cary served in many capacities and many stations. He served as the Director of Base Maintenance and in the Office of Chief of Naval Operations where he initiated the establishment of bases at home and abroad at the commencement of WWII. Cary also served with great distinction in WWII when he took part in various campaigns in the European Theater of Operations. By the time Cary retired he had achieved the rank of Rear Admiral.